Coupler for musical instruments



(No Model.) I 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. W. D. PARKE-R COUPLER FOR MUSIGAL INSTRUMENTS.

Patented June 21,1887

[NlfiENTUf WITNESSES N. PETERSv Plwlo-lithogrlpim. Wlihingwn, D. C.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. D. PARKER.

GOUPLER FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. 1 Io.( 65,092. Patented June 21, 1887.

[N l/EN T5721 (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

W. D. PARKER. P

v COUPLER FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. No. 365,092.

Patented June 21, 1.887.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

WILLIAM D. PARKER, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

COUPLER FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 365,092, dated June 1337- Applicalion iilcd September 20, 1886. Serial No. 214,039. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM D. PARKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of \Vorcesterand State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Couplers for Musical Instruments, of which the following, together with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable persons skilled in the art to which this invention appertains to make and use the same.

The object of my present invention is to provide a simple, practical, and efficient pneumatic coupler for organs, automatic musical instruments, and similar apparatus also, to provide, in a pneumatic coupler, means for antomatically preventing the coupling effect from extending beyond the desired limit or interval in the scale or range of pneumatic motors. These objects I attain by mechanism the nature of which is explained in the following description, the particular subject matter claimed being hereinafter definitely specified.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sec tional view illustrating the nature of my improved pneumatic coupler as applied to a reed-organ or similar instrument played by a manual. Fig. 2 is a part in similar section showing the coupler shut off. Fig. 3 is a section similar to Fig. 1, showing a modification of the invention or its application to an automatic musical instrument to be played by a perforated musicsheet'. Fig. 4 is a part, in similar section, showing the coupler shut off. Fig. 5 is a plandiagram illustrating the manner of coupling and the arrangement of airpassages for the inlet of air to the pneumatics. Fig. 6 is a section through one of the valvechambers transversely of the passage; and Fig. 7 is a longitudinal vertical section through the wind-chest, pneumatics, valve-levers, and airpassages at line y y in Fig. 3, looking from the front in the direction indicated.

In the construction of my improved pneumatic coupler the series of pneumatic motors, otherwise caller pneumatickeys or pneumatic fingers, are arranged to respond to the force induced by the bellows apparatus whenever air is admitted to change the normal condition or relative pressure externally and internally of the pneumatic motor, and the several pneumatics are provided with air-passages that lead from inlet-ducts under control of the music-sheet, manual keys, or means where- 5 5 by the instrument is played. These several airinlet passages each have a branch passage leading therefrom, which communicates with the pneumatic an octave lower, (or higher,) or

to such pneumatic as it is desired to couple with, and at a convenient position in the course of the passages I arrange an adjustable stop, slide, or gate, whereby said branch passages can be closed or shut off, so that the air can only go to the individual pneumatic cor- 6 5 responding with the inlet-duct opened; or in other adjustment said passages can be opened so that the air will not only pass into the pneumatic corresponding to the note indicated, but will also at the same time pass'into the pneu- 7O matic motor corresponding to the note an octave lower, (or higher, as the case may be,) and effect the expansion of the latter pneumatic motor and the consequent sounding of the octave note as well as the one indicated by 5 the music-sheet or player.

In the several air-passages, or such as may require, I arrange a series of valves that open in one direction to give free passage of air in ward to the pneumatic motors, but which close s and resist the How of air in the other direction. These valves serve to prevent more than a single octave or pair of pneumatics being included in the coupling effect.

In reference to parts, A designates the wind 8 5 chest or chamber between the reed board A and the bottom board, A from which air is exhausted by suitable bellows or wind-inducing apparatus, (not shown,) connected therewith for operating in any well-known manner. 0

B indicates the sounding devices or reeds, which may be disposed in customary or any desired manner, with passages 1) leading into the wind-chest for the actuating aircurrents, which passages are covered by the valve-pal- 9 5 lets c, the carrying-bars G of which are operated by the pneumatic motors D and return springs E. In the present instance the pneumatics D are arranged within the wind-chest A, along the top board,A, in close series, and

corresponding in order with the valve-bars O, and in such relation thereto that the said valvebars will severally be depressed for opening the passage and allowing the sounding devices to act by the expansion of the pneumatic motors.

F denotes a tracker or valveway provided with a series of inlet openings or ducts, f, from which passages or windways (I respectively lead into the pncumatics D. Said pneumatics and ducts f correspond in number and in order with the openings, scale, or notes of the sounding devices.

From the passages d branch passages or auxiliary windways e extend across the interval and communicate with the pneumatic (or its inlet-passage) an octave lower (or higher) than the one corresponding with the respective passages first named.

The ducts f are normally closed by valves or buttons at, carried by the manual keys K, which valves are opened as the key is depressed; or in case of an automatic instrument, wherein the tracker serves as a music-race, by means of the perforated music-sheet.

As herein illustrated, the passages d are carried backward within the board G, and then turn downward in the block H direct through the top board, A, into the pneumatics l), as indicated at d. The branch passages 6 lead from the passages d upward and backward within the block H, and thence downward at a lateral inclination, as at c, and into the secondary or coupled pneumatics, or into the lower portion, (1, of the passages to said sec ondary pneumatic. The lateral inclination and arrangement ofthe passages c are indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 7.

Combined with the series of passages c, I employ a stop, slide, bar, or gate-piece, l, which is capable of being shifted to close off said passages 0 (see Figs. 2 and i) and prevent the flow of air to the pneumaties by way of passage 0, or to open said passages when desired. This gate-piece I preferably consists of a bar or piece of board having formed therein openings 6, corresponding to and serving as a part of the windways or passages c, which board is fitted to slide on the upper part of the chan nel-block H, where it is held in an angular recess, or upon a suitable seating-surface, by means of springs or clips 71, in such. manner that it can be adjusted so that the openings 0 will accurately match with their respective channels 0 when the bar is in one position of adjustment, as indicated in Figs. 1 an( 3, or y when at the other posit-ion of adjustment, so that said openings and channels will offset, and thus shut off the passage of air through said channels 0. (See Figs. 2 and 4.)

A lever, L, or device is provided for shifting the gate or bar Lwhich device is connected with a stop-pull, P, for operation in the manner of other musical-instrument steps, or said gate may be adjusted by any convenient means.

Small chambers are formed in the passages 11 and 0, within each of which is arranged a check-valve, J, consisting, prefcrabl y, of a disk of soft leather or fabric, suspended by its upper edge, so as to act as a clapper over the end of the passage, permitting free flow of air to sheet.

ward the pneumatic, but preventing flow of air toward the tracker.

In Fig. 3, M indicates a perforated musicsheet for controlling the inlet of air to the ducts f. Said music may be made, mounted, and operated for acting dircctl y as a valve for the duetsf; or, if preferred, any other well-known means for valving or controlling the inlet of air to said ducts in accordance with the musical score may-be employed.

The operation is as follows: The bar or gatepiece I being adjusted to open the passage e, and the exhaust action of the windindncing mechanism being in force, then when one of the ductsf is opened a current of air rushes into said duct in response to the suction on the pneumatics. Apart of the air goes by the direct passages (Z it into the pneumatic 1), corresponding to said duct, allowing it to explode and depress the valve 0 and permit the sounding of the note, and another portion of the air goes by way of the passages c c to the coupled pneumatic, as 1), thus permitting said second pneumatic to explode and open the valve for sounding a note an octave away from the one indicated by the key or music- The valve J in the passages e and (Z prevent the backward flow of air through. the passages. Consequently the coupling effect cannot extend to include more than one octave or the interval represented by the pair of pneumatics.

In instruments wherein the coupled series does not extend beyond an octave of the scale the valves J can be omitted, as such valves are only required to prevent the continued coupling of several octaves in a long series of pneumatics.

The passages d and c can, if desired, be formed of tubing or in any convenient man ner for connecting the tracker or key valveway and the pneumatic motors, and for connecting across the intervals from one position of the scale to its octave for coupling action, as set forth, and the pncumatics can be arranged in other location in relation to the sounding devices and wind-chest when the style of instrument or other considerations render such construction more convenient.

\Vhat I claim as of my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- l. The combination of a series of pneumatic motors arranged for actuating the valves in a musical instrument, a tracker having a series of inlet-ducts, passages leading from the respective inlet-ducts into the respective pneumatic motors, auxiliary passages respectively connecting said inlet-passages with the pneumatics for passages thereto at a designated interval up or down the scale, a movable stop or cut-off for closing and opening said auxiliary passages, automatic devices to prevent return flow of air from the pnenmatics toward the inlet-duets, and means, substantially as described, for controlling the inlet of air to the tracker-ducts, for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, in a musical instru-v ment, of a series of pneu'niatie motors arranged for actuating the valves which control the sounding devices, a series of inlet air-passages respectively leading into said pneumatics, the manual keys having valves for stopping the inlets of said air-passages, auxiliary passages leading from. inlet-passages to pneumatics an octave or designating interval, up or down the scale, the sliding stop or gate having windways that form a portion of said auxiliary passages, and backwardly opening checkvalves arranged in said inlet-passages between the pneumatic motors and the point of junction of the auxiliary and inlet passages to prevent backward fiow of air therein, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of the pneumatics D,

disposed within the Wind-chest at intervals of the scale, the sounding devices B and valves 0, controlled by said pneumatics, the tracker 20 "or valveway F, having inlet-ducts, the chan- WILLIAM D. PARKER. Witnesses:

CHAS. H. BURLEIGH, ELLA P. BLENUS. 

